Welcome to The Securizine News Archive: December 2007

 

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SECURIZINE ISSUE 111  19th December 2007

Police Staff Offered 2.5%
UNISON is recommending a 2.5% pay offer, backdated to 1st September, as ‘the best achievable by negotiation’ to police staff members in England and Wales.At the same time, the union called on the Home Secretary to honour the police officers' arbitration award and pay the 2.5% in full from the settlement date of 1st September.
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Metropolitan Police Authority - December Meeting
A meeting of the Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) will be held on Thursday 20th December. Members of the Authority will consider a review of the MPA policy on charging for events. Whilst the current policy is fit for purpose and is being used efficiently, the review has identified areas where it could be even more effective in dealing with future challenges.
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IPCC: 'Deaths During and Following Police Contact Fall'
The number of deaths during and following police contact has fallen in the last year, according to a report published by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) on Friday 14th December.
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Chief Constable Breaks into his Own Police Station in Security Test
Chief Constable Richard Brunstrom, in an bid to test the security of the North Wales Police headquarters, has resorted to breaking into his own office. He had apparently become concerned about the situation after scaffolding went up around the building in Old Colwyn, Gwynedd.
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Security Boss Tasered Eight Times
Police are investigating a complaint that a man who later proved to be unarmed and innocent was repeatedly shocked with a Taser gun. Daniel Sylvester, the 45-year-old owner of an east London security firm, was driving home on October 20 when he was stopped by armed police.
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Gateshead Council Awarded for Dramatic Efforts in Cutting Crime
Gateshead Council has received a Highly Commended Award at the North East Justice Assembly for its efforts in contributing to crime reduction and preventing youth crime in the borough.
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Chief Constable Responds to Pitt Review of Summer Flooding
Chief Constable Dr Timothy Brain, overall commander for the response to this summer's flooding in Gloucestershire, has commented on the interim findings of the Pitt Review.
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Allegations Against AC Andy Hayman
The Metropolitan Police Authority has been notified by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) of its decision to accept the MPA's proposal that AC Hayman should receive advice from the Commissioner and the chair of the Authority's Professional Standards Committee about the standard of his future conduct.
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Surrey Police Looks for Skillsmark
When Surrey Police needs to find an external training provider to deliver one of its key training programmes, the force knows exactly what attributes it is looking for. High on the list of requirements is for the provider to either have attained Skillsmark recognition, or to be in the process of applying for it.
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Scotland Reviews Promotion Prospects
Recommendations on how to improve consistency in the promotion process in the police service are made in a new report from the Inspectorate of Constabulary.
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Strathclyde Police given £1m to Cover Terror Costs
Strathclyde Police have been given an additional £1 million to help cover the costs resulting from the terrorist attack at Glasgow Airport in June this year. Justice secretary Kenny MacAskill announced the decision to grant a request from the force's joint police board.
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Forces Allocate Resources Well, says Report
Four out of five police authorities are performing well or strongly in their use of resources, demonstrating a significant improvement from less than two-thirds in the last financial year.
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Chiefs Call for Lower Drink Drive Limit
Lowering the limit for drink driving is the best way to combat the increasing problem of drink driving, says Scotland's top police officer responsible for road policing.
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SECURIZINE ISSUE 110  12th December 2007

Fury Over Home Secretary's 'Double-Dealing' on Pay
Officers all ranks have expressed their disgust over the Home Secretary's failure to backdate pay to September 1st. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said that she will ratify the decision of the Police Arbitration Tribunal, but with effect from 1st December and not 1st September, giving an increase of 1.9%.
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Police to Vote on Right to Strike
Every police officer in the UK is to be balloted over whether they want to lobby for the right to strike, the Police Federation has said. The decision came during a meeting of police officers to discuss a pay row. Home Secretary Jacqui Smith faces mounting pressure over her decision not to backdate a 2.5% pay rise for police in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.
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Police Funding Allocations for 2008/9 to 2010/11
The three-year funding settlement for the Police Service of England and Wales amounts to 2.7 percent for 2008/9, 2.8 percent for 2009/10 and 2.8 percent for 2010/11. Grant will be distributed according to the national funding formula, with actual settlements ranging between 2.5 percent and 4.0 percent.
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Launch of National CCTV Testing Service Endorsed by Police
The UK's first CCTV system quality testing service endorsed by a police force has launched. The Forensic Video Analysis Group has been set up with its testing systems endorsed by North Wales Police.
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Radar Wins Speed Test Against GPS
A Californian judge has ruled a speeding case supported by an officer's radar cannot be thrown out because the speeder's GPS system allegedly contradicted the radar speed.
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Home Sec Proposes Extending Pre-charge Detention
Home Secretary Jacqui Smith has announced proposals for extending the current limit on the detention of terrorist suspects before they've been charged.
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Cracking Down on the Mr Bigs
An ACPO initiative to produce the first national analysis of the threat from organised crime across England and Wales is already delivering significant operational benefits, chief officers have said.
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IPCC Praises Officers
An investigation into South Wales Police contact with a man before his death has resulted in two officers being praised for their bravery. The IPCC independently investigated the death of 51 year-old Raymond Ellis following his arrest and subsequent release by South Wales Police.

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MPA Stockwell Scrutiny - Terms of Reference Agreed
The Metropolitan Police Authority has agreed the terms of reference for its scrutiny into how the Metropolitan Police and it responded to the Independent Police Complaints Commission's Stockwell reports 1, 1b and 2.
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Town Policing Transformed by IndigoVision’s IP-CCTV
IndigoVision’s complete IP Video solution has helped transform the local policing of a small town in Northern Italy. Sergnano has a population of just 3,000 and employs only two law enforcement officers to police the town.
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SECURIZINE ISSUE 109  5th December 2007

Extra Cash for Collaborating Forces
All five East Midlands police forces and their Authorities welcomed the news that the Home Office will be paying £142,000 towards ensuring that the region can make the best use of specialist police officers across the region, in areas such as firearms and search specialists.
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Federation 'Disappointed' Over Pay Award
Officers are set to receive 2.5% pay increase, following the independent Police Arbitration Tribunal's decision on police pay. Both the Official Side and Staff Side of the Police Negotiating Board (PNB) are bound by the decision, which consequently becomes a PNB agreement.
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Terror Chief Retires
Andy Hayman, assistant commissioner of the Met police and head of ACPO's Terrorism and Allied Matters business area has retired. ACPO President Ken Jones said: 'On behalf of ACPO colleagues I would like to pay tribute to Andy Hayman's tremendous contribution to policing in general and the fight against terrorism in particular.
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Chief Constable Banned from Driving
Med Hughes, the former head of roads policing at the Association of Chief Police Officers (Acpo) and chief constable of South Yorkshire police has been banned from driving after being caught speeding at 90mph.
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IPCC Instigated Disciplinary Proceedings against Met Officers Concluded
Disciplinary proceedings against two Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) officers arising from an Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation into their conduct during the arrest of 18 year old Mohammed Ali have now been concluded.
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New Fears in Lost Discs Row
The identities of hundreds of people in witness protection programmes are contained on the child benefit discs lost in the post by HM Revenue and Customs, it has been claimed.
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Luton Law Reaches Crimebusters Down Under
A Luton company which designs and manufactures video surveillance and recording equipment has won its first order from a police force in Australia following help from UK Trade & Investment.
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Scrapping Police Authorities could Save Millions, says Report
A new report has called on Home Secretary Jacqui Smith to scrap police authorities and return their powers to elected Council Leaders. It claims that the changes would not only save millions of pounds which could be pumped into front line policing, but also give local people greater influence over local policing.
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Consultation Opens Over Ways to Modernise Police Facilities
The Metropolitan Police Authority (MPA) and Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) are undertaking a major improvement programme for the Metropolitan Police estate.
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Gun and Gang Crackdown
One hundred and eighteen people have been arrested and over 1300 real and imitation firearms have been seized in Manchester, London, Liverpool and Birmingham as part of a co-ordinated day of action involving over 1,000 police officers.
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Protective Services Demonstration Sites Announced
Tony McNulty, Minister of State for Security, Counter-Terrorism, Crime and Policing has announced three additional Demonstrator Sites, which will address the demands of major crime, serious organised crime and other threats to public safety
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Police Pilot Crime Reporting Scheme in Millbrook
Police in Millbrook in Hampshire are piloting a new scheme to promote crime reporting from the public. From Saturday, December 1st residents can contact the police by filling out a special form and posting it free of charge to their local safer neighbourhoods team.
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Force goes Green
Devon and Cornwall Constabulary has launched a concerted campaign to reduce the impact of its business on climate change.
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Constabulary Launches New 'E Card'
Lancashire Constabulary's launching a brand new Emergency Information Card which could help people with a disability who may find themselves in some kind of trouble.
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Home Secretary Speech to the Association of Police Authorities Conference
The Police Service must be just as good at tackling anti-social behaviour as it is at tackling terrorism if it is to meet the challenge of leading a world class police service, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said on 29th November.
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New ANPR Vehicle for East Hampshire
Police in East Hampshire have taken ownership of a new Volvo XC70 fast response vehicle equipped with Automated Number Plate Recognition technology (ANPR).
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West End Crime Prevention Operation
Westminster-based officers have launched anti-crime operations in the West End to target criminals and anti-social behaviour in the run-up to Christmas.
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